


The Tile Puzzle

by lambkind



Series: Who the heck keeps hiring this guy!? [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Undertale, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 05:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8359042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lambkind/pseuds/lambkind
Summary: Alphys reluctantly visits Snowdin to help Sans and Undyne set up a new puzzle.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A [Sentry Duty](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8341384) anon asked for more, and I was gonna be like "Well it's just a one-shot," but then I realized I had more in me. Hope this is what you meant.
> 
> If you think anything in this story contradicts canon, please point it out! This universe is so intricate and bewildering, I probably got something wrong... -.-;

Alphys didn't feel comfortable in Snowdin. The cold air stung her eyes, her breath fogged up her glasses, and the wet snow seeped unpleasantly under the scales of her feet. The proximity to the Ruins made her nervous, and there were several families in town that she was absolutely determined to avoid. 

No, she did not feel comfortable at all.

That was why she'd asked Sans to teleport her directly into the forest, to the proposed site of her new puzzle. Honestly, the only thing that had finally drawn her out of the lab was the prospect of seeing this baby in action. Well… that and the fact that Undyne had asked so nicely…

"so how's the research goin, alph?" asked Sans. 

Alphys jumped, then wrung her hands and stammered, "OH, w-well I… I'm not supposed to, to talk about it, so it's uh… it's… eh heh…."

"okay…" said Sans, slowly. He gave her a penetrating look, and she turned away quickly.

"Well, I know you must be working super hard on it, whatever it is," said Undyne brightly. "So thanks for coming all this way to help us set up the new puzzle!" She held up the paper full of instructions and grinned. "It looks really cool."

"i thought you hated puzzles," said Sans.

"Wh— Some of them are okay!" snapped Undyne. She shot Sans a venomous look, then shook her head and smiled again. "It sucks that Papyrus isn't here to help set up. He's gonna love this. And I wanted Alphys to meet him."

"Oh… t-that's alright," said Alphys. "Maybe another time." Privately she was relieved. She wasn't very good at meeting people, and she was anxious enough as it was.

She went to work on the control panel while Undyne set the tiles in the snow. Sans pretended to help, but mostly he just stood around. Alphys gave a watery sigh. Why did she agree to this? She knew if she'd just sent the parts and the instructions, Sans could have figured out how to set it up. As it was, she felt too nervous to really concentrate on what she was doing. What if someone came by? What if Snowdrake was around, or one of the other members of the Guard…

She wanted to go home.

"think you missed a spot," said Sans. He wasn't even pretending to help anymore; just lounging in the snow and giving Undyne a lazy grin. He was the picture of indolence.

Undyne glowered at him. "Well asshole, maybe if you gave me a hand..."

There was a sharp clattering sound as Sans's disembodied hand landed on one of the tiles next to Undyne.

"Ha ha," she said flatly. Chuckling, Sans heaved himself out of the snow and shuffled over to Alphys.

Alphys was rewiring the control panel again. She kept miscounting, or just second-guessing herself. Oops—the red wire wasn't supposed to go there… Damnit… Despite the cold, she was starting to sweat. God, why was she so useless! She just needed to get this thing done so she could go home!

"…you okay, alphys?" asked Sans. She squeaked and spun around.

"I'm! Of course I'm okay, w-why, why wouldn't I be???"

"Sans, you're making her nervous!" said Undyne, striding up beside them. "Just let her work. We wanna get this puzzle done as quick as we can in case any humans come by." 

"pfft— yeah y'know we get em all the time down here," said Sans, snickering. "might be a human on the way right now."

Without warning, Undyne grabbed Sans roughly by the collar of his t-shirt and lifted him clear off the ground.

"Y'know I'm getting real sick of your shitty attitude," she snarled, right in his face. Blue, glowing patches of magic bloomed in the snow all around them. Sans grimaced, and a flicker of bright color sparked inside his left eye.

Oh no, oh no no no no

"WAIT!" cried Alphys, and when they both turned toward her, the force of their angry gazes almost made her lose her nerve.

"C-couldn't we just… maybe… n-not… fight…? Eh heh heh… heh…"

She trailed off unhappily. Sans and Undyne looked back at each other. Then Undyne dropped him, and he fell into the snow with a wet thump and a grunt. She leered at him for one more long moment, then barked, "Help me set up the rest of the tiles."

"sure thing boss." 

"And put your goddamned hand back on, it's freaking me out."


End file.
